Nixon during his first term, owned four radio stations and a TV station, ran an advertising and public relations agency in Washington, D.C., and was one of the founders of the Washington Dossier magazine. He became a full-time writer in 1974.
He wrote over 50 novels during his lifetime including The War of the Roses, Private Lies, The Sunset Gang, The Children of the Roses, Random Hearts, and Funny Boys. He wrote short story collections including New York Echoes and plays including Libido. He died of complications from liver cancer on April 15, 2019 at the age of 91.